PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have yet to receive their Super Bowl rings, but when they do, they’ll own a precious piece of jewelry that’s “full of ice.”

That’s “ice” as in diamonds.

“It’s going to be awesome … we finally picked one out,” wide receiver Hines Ward said. “It’s going to be something to remember. It’s big … it’s big … two times the size of the last one.

“Being we’re the first team in the NFL to win six Super Bowls, it’s going to stand out.”

On Monday as most of the Steelers returned to team headquarters for the first of 14 organized team activities that will be held this spring, many of them were fitted for their Super Bowl rings.

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II sought out opinions from four players when designing the Super Bowl XLIII rings: Ward, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebackers James Farrior and James Harrison.

“They are going to be awesome ... full of ice,” Farror said.

The Steelers are expected to receive their Super Bowl rings at a private ceremony in June.

OTAs UNDER WAY

Eight Steelers, including Super Bowl XLIII Most Valuable Player Santonio Holmes, did not participate Monday in the first of 14 organized team activities.

OTAs are not mandatory.

Coach Mike Tomlin even joked to a group of reporters that, “You guys aren’t taking attendance, are you?”

All eight of them are expected to be here at the Steelers’ practice facility on the South Side of Pittsburgh for next week’s mandatory mini camp (May 1-3).

RUSSELL CUT EXPLAINED

The Steelers released running back Gary Russell last week simply because of salary cap ramifications.

There was speculation that Russell may have done something wrong. But personnel director Kevin Colbert said Monday that the Steelers’ salary cap situation is so tight right now that someone had to be cut after backup quarterback Charlie Batch was re-signed last week.

“We had to go through the cap and get someone whose salary was significant enough to get Charlie in,” Colbert said. “We wanted to have Charlie here for the OTAs.

“Yet we felt good enough with our depth (at running back). “... You don’t like to get rid of a guy that helped you win a Super Bowl but it was more important to have Charlie on board at this time of year.”

Russell, who has since been signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, was due to make $371,333 this year.